Personal sacrifices, rationalization may play role for physicians who accept gifts from industry

Sunita Sah, M.B.Ch.B., B.Sc., M.B.A., M.S., and George Loewenstein, Ph.D., of Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, conducted a study to determine whether reminding resident physicians of the sacrifices made to obtain training, as well as suggesting this as a potential rationalization, increases self-stated willingness to accept gifts from industry. In a study that included a survey of 301 U.S. resident physicians, the researchers found that "reminding physicians of sacrifices made in obtaining their education resulted in gifts being evaluated as more acceptable: 21.7 percent (13/60) in the control group vs. 47.5 percent (57/120) in the sacrifice reminders group. Although most residents disagreed with the suggested rationalization, exposure to it further increased the perceived acceptability of gifts to 60.3 percent (73/121) in that group."

Source: JAMA and Archives Journals